


Off the Deep End

by hadrons_collide



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Swim Team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-02
Updated: 2013-10-02
Packaged: 2017-12-28 06:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hadrons_collide/pseuds/hadrons_collide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finnick knows all the whispers around the pool are about Annie, how sometimes she laughs when Coach is in the middle of explaining a set, how she shows up early and leaves late just to spend more time in the water. Finnick ignores them all to reach across the lane line and splash a bit of water on her, which makes Annie laugh even louder. Coach yells at them but Finnick doesn't care- hearing Annie laugh just for him was worth it.</p><p>College!AU where Finnick and Annie are on the swim team together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Off the Deep End

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first time writing Hunger Games fic, so sorry if I've gotten it completely wrong. I've mostly written swimming fic and after I reread Catching Fire I wanted to write something Finnick/Annie and ended up with this.

There are whispers among the current team that one of the upcoming freshmen is a bit off. A word here and there from things people have heard at sectional meets, of how she qualified for nationals and showed up at the meet then scratched everything and went home. The whispers reach Finnick, through a late night text that asks if he heard about the new crazy girl on the team. Finnick just rolls his eyes and puts his phone on the charger before crawling back into bed next to a girl whose name he knows he won't remember in the morning.

 

Finnick's summer is full of one sad excuse of a class that he takes to stay on campus with the girls that tan on the quad between classes. He figures he must have fucked half of them, the way they always wink at them. Finnick just grins as he passes them on his walk to the pool every day, still determined to get his workout in. He figures if he trains hard in the morning, he can party as hard as he wants to at night.

 

He had completely forgotten about the new crazy girl until he shows up for the first practice of the school year. Finnick picks her out of the new crop of freshmen immediately, sitting alone on the bleachers nearest him, staring off into the distance and aimlessly tying knots in her long brown hair. He follows her gaze to the glassy reflection of the water and turns back to smile at her.

"Can't wait to dive in?" he asks, tone playful.

She just looks up at him with big green eyes. "You're Finnick Odair," she says finally.

He smirks. "My reputation precedes me, then." She doesn't respond, though, just goes back to staring at the pool.

He's about to turn away and go back to catching up with everyone else when she finally speaks again. "Annie Cresta. Distance."

Finnick laughs a little to himself. Maybe that's why everyone thinks she's crazy, he thinks. As a sprinter, anything over 200 meters is distance to him, and the fact that people actually want to race for more than that, let alone a mile, baffled him. "Well then, Annie, welcome to the team."

 

When practice is over, Annie seems almost hesitant to get out of the water. She lingers, casually swimming a few more laps, and when Finnick finishes changing, she's still there. Her cap is off and she's just floating in the water, her long hair flowing behind her like seaweed.

"C'mon, Annie, practice is over," he says, going over to her lane and offering a hand.

She comes over to the wall but just grins and shakes her head. "I'm fine here," Annie says, pushing off on her back and dolphin kicking away. Finnick can't help but smile.

 

Finnick knows all the whispers around the pool are about Annie, how sometimes she laughs when Coach is in the middle of explaining a set, how she shows up early and leaves late just to spend more time in the water. Finnick ignores them all to reach across the lane line and splash a bit of water on her, which makes Annie laugh even louder. Coach yells at them but Finnick doesn't care- hearing Annie laugh just for him was worth it.

 

Finnick casually invites her to a party he's throwing with his housemates one morning after practice, when she's still kicking around in the water. "A party?" Annie says slowly, like she doesn't quite understand the word.

"Yeah. It'll be fun, people on the team will be there... if you wanna come, you're more than invited."

She gives Finnick an odd look, appraising him and his offer before speaking. "Okay," she says simply, her face changing into a smile.

 

Annie shows up late and far too over-dressed. Her dress is sheer and flowing and almost makes her look like a mermaid or a sea-goddess or something. It suits her well, though, and Finnick's wild grin has more to do with Annie showing up than the alcohol flowing through him.

"You came!" he says, pulling her in for a hug.

She looks shocked at the contact but lets him hug her anyways. "I said I would," Annie replies, giggling a little.

Finnick can't help but laugh, too. "Yeah, you did." He grabs her hand and twirls her around, causing Annie to laugh even louder. "You look beautiful. Can I get you a beer, or..."

Annie shakes her head. "I... I probably shouldn't. Everyone thinks I'm crazy enough without alcohol."

"I don't think you're crazy," Finnick says, squeezing her hand lightly.

She shrugs her shoulders, grabbing her hand away from Finnick. "It's okay if you do. I know everyone talks about me. I hear the things they say at practice. Crazy Annie. That's who I've always been."

Finnick looks around the room, trying to notice if any of his teammates there look particularly guilty. "Who was it?" he asks. "Because I'll kick their ass."

Annie giggles a little. "You don't have to. Seriously, it's fine. You're nice to me, and all you need is one person, right?"

 

Monday morning, one of the sophomores says something about how he can't believe Finnick invited Crazy Annie to his party. Finnick storms over to him and pushes him back up against the locker.

"Don't fucking call her that. She's your teammate and you're gonna be nice to her. Or maybe I won't invite you next time."

The other guy laughs nervously as Finnick lets him go. "Sorry, man, didn't mean to insult your little girlfriend."

Finnick thinks about shoving him back into the locker, but decides it's not worth it. "Fuck off and get out on deck. It's time for practice, anyways."

 

If anyone badmouths Annie again, they must be doing it out of Finnick's earshot, because he doesn't hear it. The girls at least seem to have warmed up to her, and Finnick notices she's smiling more on deck and staying in the water less after practice.

He sees her on campus one day between classes and sprints across the quad to catch up with her just as a couple of girls he doesn't recognize wave goodbye to her. "Making friends?" he asks her.

Annie jumps back a little. "Oh, Finnick! You crept up on me, I didn't... sorry."

Finnick grins and all he can think of is how she's really the one who crept up on him. Even to himself, he can't explain why he can't get Annie out of his mind. Sure, she's hot- any guy can attest to that. But he's had more than his fair share of hot girls, and Annie isn't like any of them.

 

He goes over to the pool the night before their first meet, checking everything out, making sure he doesn't need to get any of the freshmen to clean it up in the morning or anything. When Finnick gets there, he realizes he's not alone. Annie is there, her toes barely dangling in the water from where she's sitting on the starting block.

"Nervous?" Finnick asks her. She doesn't jump this time, just scoots over on the block to make room for him. When Finnick sits down next to her, she nods.

"I'm... I'm just not great under pressure. It's why I bailed at nationals last year. It's why I didn't know if I was even going to swim in college. I crack, always." 

Annie taps her fingers nervously on her leg, and Finnick reaches out to stop the movement. "You're going to do fine." He takes a deep breath and laces his fingers through hers, and she doesn't pull away like he expects her to. "Just forget about everybody else. It's just you and the water. And you're awesome in the water, so... if you think about it that way, you're gonna win."

She looks up at him, eyes wide and worried. "Do you really think so?"

Finnick gives Annie's hand a light squeeze. "I know so."

A smile flickers across her lips. "Thanks, Finnick."

She looks so beautiful in the dim light of the natatorium, and Finnick can barely stop to think twice about leaning in to kiss her.

Annie pulls back though, unsure, and Finnick can't get his balance back on the block in time to stop himself from tumbling into the pool. He surfaces and swears loudly, reaching for his phone and panicking when he can't find it. Annie, of course, is cackling loudly, her laughter echoing around the empty pool. When Finnick finally remembers he left his phone in the car, he calms down a little and makes a face at Annie as he treads water.

"You made me fall in!" he shouts accusingly.

She shrugs. "You didn't have to try to kiss me."

Finnick opens his mouth to start to say something, but he realizes he doesn't have anything to say to that. Annie laughs loudly at him, stands up on the block, and dives gracefully into the water next to him.

Finnick splashes her when she comes up for air. "You suck."

She laughs again and shakes her head. "No, I don't."

"Yeah, you're right." He sculls over to where Annie is and brushes a lock of wet hair out of her face. His hand stops at her cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb, watching Annie's face the whole time for her reaction.

When she doesn't pull back or shy away, but actually smiles a little, Finnick leans in and kisses her, softly and quickly.

Finnick pulls back and treads water in front of her. Annie reaches her hand up and touches her own lips like she can't believe that just happened.

Finnick grins a little. "Sorry if that was too much or..."

"No," she says, cutting him off. "It was nice." Then she smirks at him before diving back under the water and dolphin-kicking towards the opposite end of the pool.

Finnick smiles and chases after her.


End file.
